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So, I flew to Amsterdam from London, stayed in the Hague (“Den Haag”) for a week, then spent my Saturday back in the capital. Den Haag is the seat of the Dutch parliament and boasts a highly service-oriented economy. Majority of the residents there are civil servants and diplomats – it is one of the major cities hosting the United Nations, home to many foreign embassies and headquarters of large international businesses, and where the International Court of Justice is located.

One of the interesting things about the Netherlands, to me, is their mode of transportation. I know I know, out of the many interesting things – the sex industry, the drug policy – why would I have my eyes on something so relatively… less exciting. But I just couldn’t help snapping photos of the nice bicycles I came across in Netherlands. Do you know that there are actually more bicycles than residents in that country?!? In Den Haag, 70% of the journeys are made on the pedals. They have special lanes and traffic lights for cyclists. They even have two-tier “bicycle park” that serves the same purpose like our car park!

Yes, all of these for bicycles!

Be it in heels or in suit, they pedal; with their groceries or their children, they pedal; morning or night, they pedal; to the gym or to work, they pedal; students pedal, the elderly pedals, postmen pedal, businessmen pedal …a woman in a Chanel tweed pedals!

I cursed when she rode past and I wasn’t quick enough to press the shutter. Sigh, if only…the result would be such a Scott Schuman.

Anyway, move on to the other images.

The amount of effort they spent on the bicycles are (pun-intending-ly) impressive. It’s the same mentality the Japanese spent preparing their bento-boxes – if it’s something you are going to have everyday, might as well have it in it’s most pleasing and beautiful condition. Make sense, doesn’t it? Maybe with this creativity, some high-quality rubber, flawless matte finish and the most elegant style of a wicker basket, what Chanel tweed, I would even pedal in my wedding dress!

(Ok no. I didn’t really mean it.)

I’ll be posting more updates of Den Haag/ Amsterdam in the next following days. For now, let me wallow in my gelatinous state while you admire this wonderful human-powered vehicle.